Vacation
by ali09
Summary: Complete! Rated SS for super sappy Please read and review!
1. Default Chapter

Prologue  
  
"Thank you so much for doing this Jennifer," Lucas hugged his sister gratefully.  
"It's my pleasure, really," Jennifer assured him. "Why you leaving anyway?"  
"Well, when Sami said she was taking a vacation, I wondered why I hadn't thought of it myself," Lucas smiled at her.  
"Well, I don't blame you, with all these murders going on," Jennifer sighed sadly.  
Lucas rubbed her shoulder sympathetically. "Well, I'd better get going if I want to make my plane. Bye. Bye Will!" Lucas yelled up the stairs.  
"Bye Dad!" Will screamed back.  
Lucas waved one last time before rushing off to his car and heading to the airport.  
  
"I sooo need this," Sami smiled to herself as she looked out the plane window. "With all these murders going on, I just need some time to clear my head."  
"That's not all," the little voice in her head said. "You just need to get away from Lucas, or more accurately, the feelings you are having for him."  
"No," Sami shook her head adamantly. "You didn't come on this vacation to think about Lucas!"  
"Yeah right," the little voice taunted her. "All you can think about is Lucas."  
Sami sighed, "I just need to figure out what's going on."  
  
Lucas glanced out the window of the taxicab. Miles of crystalline sand stretched out before him, and the sea sparkled as the sun's final rays of light shone down upon it. "This is perfect," Lucas thought. "I wish Sami was here to see it."  
Lucas immediately reprimanded himself. "You do not want Sami here...yes I do!" Lucas groaned. "Why can't Sami and I just be together?"  
A million reasons flashed through his head, the most prominent, of course, begin the ultimate thorn in his side. His mother.  
"My mother would give us hell," Lucas groaned. Was Sami worth it?  
"Maybe now that I finally have some time alone I'll be able to figure that out," Lucas decided.  
  
Sami marched happily up to the front desk of the hotel she was staying out.  
"I'll checking in," Sami told the man at the desk.  
"Name?"  
"Sami Brady. Reservation for one," she told him.  
"Two," he corrected.  
"No, one," she repeated.  
"I'm sorry, it says here that this room is for two," the man said. "This room must have been double-booked."  
"Well, can't you just move the other person?" Sami fumed.  
"No, Ms. Brady, we're packed. There are no rooms free," the man said nervously.  
"Well, who is the other person? Maybe I can persuade them to...leave," Sami sighed, exasperated.  
"Um, Mr. Robert," the man began. "L-."  
"Lucas!" Sami cried in shock.  
"Sami!" Lucas stared at her, wide-eyed.  
"Oh good, you know each other," the man sighed in relief. 


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1  
  
"Why are you here?" Sami said in disbelief.  
"I could ask you the same thing," Lucas threw back.  
"Uh, no you couldn't," Sami rolled her eyes. "I am supposed to be here, you on the other hand, are supposed to home with Will. Please tell me you didn't leave Will with your whore of a mother."  
"No, he's with Jennifer, and I'm allowed to take a vacation too, you know," Lucas retorted.  
"Here's your room keys," the desk clerk stepped in.  
Both Sami and Lucas grabbed their keys and rushed to be the first to the room, leaving their entire luggage in the lobby.  
"We'll bring that up!" the desk clerk called behind them as he watched Sami tackle Lucas to the ground and take off towards the elevators. Lucas reached out and grabbed her ankle, causing her to do a major face- plant into the carpet. "Yeah, real mature," the desk clerk sighed, shaking his head in amusement.  
  
By the time they reached the room, Sami and Lucas were out of breath.  
  
Sami looked at Lucas, whose ragged breathing matched her own. "Okay, here's the deal. I'll let you in long enough to get a drink of water, but then you're leaving."  
Lucas held up his key in reminder and let them into the room. Sami collapsed on the king-size bed in exhaustion.  
"That was too much work for vacation," she declared.  
"I'll say." Sami felt the bed sink as Lucas stretched out next to her.  
"You're not leaving are you?" Sami asked with a sinking feeling in her stomach.  
"What do you think?" Lucas replied.  
"Well this is perfect," Sami grouched. "How could this have happened?"  
"I don't know, the only person who knew about my plans was..." the name died on Lucas' lips.  
"Will," Sami finished. "That little sneak."  
  
"Will, your mother is on the phone," Jennifer walked up into the guestroom.  
"Could you tell them I'm...busy?" Will asked hopefully.  
"Why?" Jennifer raised an eyebrow, and looked at him curiously in realization. "Them?"  
Will tossed her a pleading look and Jennifer caved.  
"Sami? He and Abby went out to dinner with Alice, can he call you back? Great. Bye," Jennifer hung up the phone and glanced suspiciously at Will. "Well?"  
Will frowned for a minute, deciding whether or not his aunt was worthy enough to hear about his scheme. When an ironically familiar gleam appeared in his eye, Jenn knew she would be enlightened.  
"Let's just say I played around with my parents' reservations," Will smirked.  
"With their hotel reservations?" Jenn asked, amused.  
"No, their reservations," Will clarified.  
Jenn's face broke out into a grin.  
"Let's just say they'll be seeing a lot more of each other then they expected," Will laughed in glee.  
Jennifer could do nothing but join in. Like parents like son: Sami and Lucas will definitely get what they deserve.  
  
"I fixed the couch for you," Sami smiled sweetly at Lucas, who, much to Sami's chagrin, was fully clothed.  
Lucas caught her disappointed glance and broke out into a grin. "Would you like me to take my shirt off? Would that make you feel better?"  
Sami flushed and huffed, "I'd rather you put a coat on or something."  
Lucas rolled his eyes and began to approach the bed. Sami leapt in front of him.  
"What do you think you're doing?" she asked gruffly.  
"Going to bed," Lucas pushed her aside. "I'm not sleeping on that couch."  
Sami silently debated whether or not make an issue out of the sleeping arrangements. Lucas' jaw dropped to the floor when she shrugged and climbed in next to him. Lucas flicked the light off and all was still.  
A few minutes later, Sami was berating herself for not making Lucas sleep on the couch. His body heat radiated outward and his scent wafted near her nose. She wanted him. She wanted to rip off that stupid shirt and feel his skin against hers instead of the cloth.  
"This is going to be a long night," Sami thought ruefully.  
  
Lucas smirked as Sami shifted restlessly behind him. "Wearing a shirt was such a good idea," he told himself proudly. "It aggravates her more than when I'm shirtless."  
Sami shifted uncomfortably behind him again, rubbing against his back, and Lucas' body reacted immediately. Lucas mentally groaned. "Of course the only downside to sleeping in the same bed as Sami is that I don't sleep," Lucas thought. As Sami tossed and turned restlessly, Sami's golden locks slide smoothly across Lucas' face, surrounding him in Sami's heavenly scent. Lucas moaned softly at the sweet torture.  
"Yes, this is going to be a long night." 


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2  
  
Lucas' lips burned a path down her neck. Sami moaned in pleasure and tilted her neck back to allow him better access.  
"Lucas," she sighed. "I love you, I love you so much."  
"Oh Sami, you have no idea how long I've waited to hear you say that," Lucas' eyes shined with passion. "I love you too."  
Sami's breath caught in her throat and her face flushed with please. Lucas' lips captured hers once again and-  
  
"Ms. Brady? Are you Samantha Brady?" a voice interrupted her daydream.  
"Sami," she corrected. As her eyes came back into focus and the throbbing pain in her back returned, she realized that the man in front of her wasn't Lucas and she wasn't back in her hotel room.  
"Okay, well, we should be casting off any minute now. We're waiting for one more person then we should be all set," the captain informed her. "The rest of the party is over here."  
Sami walked over and introduced herself to the rest of the group going dolphin-watching with her- an elderly couple.  
The older man smirked at her, saying, "What's a pretty little thing like you doing here all alone?"  
"Oh, she's not alone." A familiar voice came from behind them; a voice that made Sami's heart skip a beat even if she refused to admit it.  
"Lucas! Are you following me?" Sami glared at him.  
"I would love to have him follow me," the older man's wife replied flirtatiously.  
A look of panic crossed Lucas' face before a comfortable smirk settled on his lips. "No Sami, I'm not following you. Obviously our son figured out how to get us on the same dolphin-watching boat."  
"Since when do you like dolphin-watching?" Sami raised an eyebrow.  
"What's wrong with that? Lisa recommended it," Lucas informed her indignantly.  
"Oh, you mean that Barbie doll bimbo who calls herself a travel agent?" Sami snapped.  
The jealous undertones of her comeback were not lost on Lucas. "Sounds like someone's a little jealous."  
Sami flushed and her raging eyes narrowed. As she opened her mouth to let him have it-  
"Excuse me," the captain interrupted.  
Sami and Lucas turned to find a sea of amused faces staring at them.  
"Sorry, we tend to get a little, uh, carried away," Lucas lowered his eyes in embarrassment.  
"A little?" the woman muttered to her husband.  
"If you are Lucas Roberts, than we are ready to board," the captain broke the awkward silence and gestured to his boat.  
The group of four walked over to the boat. After the other couple boarded the boat, they turned to watch Lucas unconsciously help Sami onto the boat. The couple exchanged a knowing glance as they saw Sami yank her hand away from Lucas and nearly fall off the boat. Lucas gasped and caught Sami around the waist, pulling her close to him. Their eyes locked and Lucas' lips hovered over Sami's. Her eyes fluttered shut and...  
"Would you put these on?" the captain held two lifejackets in their faces.  
"Uh, sure," Sami responded, flustered, taking the lifejackets and handing one to Lucas, who was glaring menacingly at the captain.  
"Let's get a move on; it'll be about a half-hour to get out there," the captain started up the engine and they were off.  
  
"That one's quite a handful," the man smiled as he gestured at Sami, who was sleeping peacefully with her head on Lucas' shoulder.  
"Yes, she is," Lucas laughed. "I'm sorry, I don't think I introduced myself. I'm Lucas Roberts."  
"I'm Al Simon, and this is my wife Diane," Al introduced. "She sure can go from one extreme to another pretty fast."  
"Oh, well, usually not this fast," Lucas glanced down at the comatose Sami. "We didn't get a lot of sleep last night."  
"I'm sure you didn't," Diane winked at him.  
Lucas blushed a deep scarlet; realizing their interpretation of is words. "No, that's not why...it was really a lack of that really...No! I mean, I think I better quit while I'm ahead."  
"That's probably a good idea," Diane said with amusement.  
"So, how long have you been together?" Al asked.  
"Oh, we're not together. I mean, we have a son together, but we've never actually been a couple," Lucas replied.  
The sadness was noticeable in his eyes. "Let me guess. You've spent that last however many years hating each other, but neither of you can really remember how you got to be that way because you used to be best friends," Diane leaned back in her chair in satisfaction. "Dead on, except we could come up with a million reasons why," Lucas grinned. "You turn your life into a soap opera, huh?" Al chuckled. "You could say that," Lucas responded, shifting into a more comfortable position while trying not to wake Sami. "How'd you guess about us?" "There's so much passion and fire there, it could go either way. You don't need me to tell you you've chosen the wrong one," Diane told him bluntly. Al nodded in agreement. Lucas was silent, thinking about what the couple had said. Suddenly, he looked down next to him and nearly had a heart attack when a glossy triangle shaped fin was sticking out of the water. He grabbed Sami's shoulders and shook her gently. "Sami, wake up. Look!" he pointed down at the water when her eyes opened briefly. "Dolphins!" she cried in excitement as they watched the dolphin race alongside the boat. "Oh Lucas, aren't they cute!" "Yeah, adorable," Lucas agreed immediately, never taking his eyes off Sami as she clapped her hands in child-like glee. The Simons rolled their eyes at Lucas and Sami, who were so obviously in denial about their feelings it was ridiculous. If only they weren't so stubborn, each one could complete the other and fill that void in their heart. Diane and Al exchanged equally exasperated looks as Sami's musical laughter filled the silence when Lucas whispered something in her ear. "Young people can never see what's right in front of them," Diane sighed. Al laughed and wrapped his arms around his wife to site back and enjoy the company of the dolphins. 


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3  
  
Lucas sighed in exhaustion as he leaned his head against the back seat of the taxicab. As the cool air blew across his dripping, hot face, he allowed himself to think back to what had happened that afternoon.   
Sami and Lucas called one last farewell to the Simons before turning towards each other. After a long, awkward silence, Lucas was opened his mouth to invite Sami to go to lunch or something; anything to keep her around him. She suddenly mumbled something under he breath and turned to walk away. Lucas grabbed her arm to stop her.  
"Wait, where are you going?" Lucas asked frantically.  
"Well, as much as I love standing here in silence, this is my vacation and since I had to spend my morning with you, I'd like to get going," Sami retorted.  
"Sami, we had fun this morning," Lucas protested.  
Sami was silent.  
"Didn't we?" Lucas said weakly.  
"Look Lucas, I really have to go," Sami said after a moment.  
"Sami, please," Lucas pleaded.  
"No, not now Lucas, I can't," Sami looked fearfully at him before rushing off.  
  
"Always running," Lucas whispered.  
"Excuse me sir?" The taxi driver looked strangely in his rearview mirror at Lucas  
"Can you drop me off here and drop my clubs back off at the hotel?" Lucas questioned.  
"Of course."  
"Great, thank you," Lucas paid the driver and exited the taxi.  
As he walked down the street, he attempted to clear his mind of the one woman who wouldn't go away. He leaned against the hard brick wall of a tiny diner and closed his eyes. Suddenly his stomach let out a roaring grumble.  
"I guess I'm a little hungry," Lucas smiled for the first time that afternoon. He lifted himself up from his comfortable position against the diner wall and strode into the diner. "Table for one please," he announced to a waitress.  
"One moment."  
While the waitress looked for a table, Lucas took the opportunity to look around. His eyes immediately found the lone blonde woman sitting in a secluded booth in the corner with her head in her hands looking downright miserable.  
The waitress returned quickly, ready to show Lucas his table.  
"Thanks, but I see someone I know. I'm going to join her." Lucas slowly approached the woman's table. "Sami?"  
She gasped and looked up in surprise, but with immediate recognition. "Lucas! What are you doing here?"  
"I was golfing and was hungry," Lucas explained with a shrug.  
"Oh," Sami replied inaudibly.  
"Can I join you?" Lucas asked hopefully.  
Sami nodded and he slid in across from her.  
"So you have fun without me?" Lucas smirked playfully, but Sami could see the twinge of pain in his eyes.  
"Yes," Sami answered, trying to sound as though she meant it. In truth, she had had a horrible day without Lucas. He was on her mind all day. She had an incredible time with him that morning and he was prepared to spend the entire day with her, she knew he was. She had to say no; she had to shoot him down. And her payment was an awful, lonely day. "No," she confessed.  
"Me neither," Lucas said softly.  
"Really?" Sami looked up in shock.  
Lucas sighed and shook his head, leaning back in his chair. "Why'd you leave Salem?"  
Sami immediately put up her invisible, but rock solid, walls. "I don't really want to talk about it."  
"Why?"  
"I just had to get away from all the death is all," Sami replied unconvincingly.  
"Is that all?" Lucas pressed.  
"Yes Lucas, that's it okay?" Sami snapped and continued eating her dinner, habitually passing over pieces of it she didn't like to Lucas.  
When the bill was paid, they both walked outside to be greeted by a sky full of glowing stars and a nearly full moon, shining down on them. Sami lifted her hand to hail a cab, but Lucas grabbed it instead. Sami looked at him questioningly.  
"Let's walk, it's perfect for a stroll," Lucas began to pull her down the sidewalk.  
"A stroll?" Sami repeated, lifting an eyebrow.  
"Yes, a stroll," Lucas nodded in affirmation and tightened his grip on her hand.  
Lucas felt content as the two of them walked hand in hand down the street. Everything was at peace.  
"Calm before the storm," Lucas thought wryly. He knew in his heart why Sami left Salem. He needed to hear her say it so he could make his decision once and for all. He would get her to say it before the night was over.  
Sami was in heaven. Here she was, walking down the street, holding Lucas Roberts' hand and grinning like an idiot. Weird. Unfortunately she knew her blissfulness wouldn't last forever and it didn't. Once they got back to the hotel, Lucas started up with that stupid question again.  
"Lucas! I've already told you why I left Salem," Sami sighed in exasperation. "Why are you making an issue out of nothing?"  
"Because I don't think that's all there is to it," Lucas informed her snidely.  
"Damn, he knows me too well," Sami thought. "Might as well throw it back at him."  
"Why, because that's not the only reason you left Salem?" Sami said softly, her voice gaining conviction with every word. "Why did you leave Salem?"  
"Do you really want to know?" Lucas' eyes bore into hers, his hands clenched at his sides.  
Sami's breath caught in her throat. Did she? 


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4  
  
"Well?" Lucas prompted, his arms crossed defiantly over his chest.  
Sami narrowed her eyes and mirrored his stance. "Tell me."  
Sami watched as the blood rushed from his face and his confident exterior cracked.  
"What?" he asked in surprise, his voice quavering nervously.  
Sami fed off his uncertainty, raising her eyebrows in faint amusement at the sudden change in attitude. "You heard me. Tell me why you unexpectedly decided to leave Salem."  
He took a deep breath. She could see the tug of war he was experiencing inside his head. Should he risk telling her the truth? This could make or break their relationship.  
"And don't give me any crap about you having to get away from all the killings, because obviously, at least according to you, that isn't enough to make you want to take a vacation," Sami's voice snapped him back into reality.  
"There goes that excuse," he thought ruefully.  
"I'm waiting Lucas," Sami tapped her foot to express her impatience.  
"It was you," he snapped.  
Sami looked like she had been slapped. "Excuse me?"  
"Damn, I didn't mean it to come out like that," Lucas mentally scolded himself.  
"You left Salem to get away from me?" Sami took a shaky breath. "I thought we were getting along better Lucas, but you left our family, our son, just to get away from me? Do you still hate me? Oh my god Lucas..." she trailed off, mumbling incoherently under her breath.  
"No Sami," he rushed over and placed his hands gently on her shoulders. "No, not like that."  
"Than like what?" she yelled hysterically. She surprised even herself in how she reacted to his rejection.  
"Our relationship has grown these past few months, and before I could decided what I wanted to happen, I needed to spend some time away from you," Lucas told her softly.  
Sami's confusion was evident in her clear blue eyes. "To see if you liked life better without me?"  
"No," Lucas shook his head adamantly. "I know what life's like without you, and it is not the life I want."  
Sam smiled slightly and her eyes brightened.  
"I know this is probably the farthest thing from your mind, but I needed to decided if I want to pursue you, if I want to have a relationship with you," Lucas averted his eyes from her intense gaze.  
"Why did you need to leave Salem to do that?" Sami commanded, forcing his eyes back to hers.  
"In Salem there are so many distractions. With my mother around, it's hard to know whether I'm drawn to you because it's the opposite of what she wants or if it's because I really am attracted to you. Or for that matter, if its attraction or lust or if I need someone to cling to or if I enjoy being the one you cling to. There's just so much going on!" Lucas paced the room, spilling his deepest fears to the one who scared him the most.  
Sami was silent, to his surprise, though he was unsure whether it was because she was in shock or if she was waiting for him to continue. He took a deep breath and decided to take the plunge.  
"I wanted to know if my heart would ache when you're gone. If I would be beside myself missing you. If I felt that just hearing your voice would make me happier than I've ever been. I wanted to figure out if I love you," Lucas stopped right in front of her, bracing himself for the question he knew was coming.  
"Do you?" Sami asked right on cue.  
Lucas nodded and Sami felt like she was on Cloud Nine. Then she noticed his grim expression and she came crashing back down to Earth.  
"But is that enough Sami? Is this going to end as soon as we get back to Salem? Or the first time my mother or someone from your family tells us they don't approve of our relationship? Or if Austin or Brandon ever come back to town? Or if you realize you're actually in a lasting relationship and get scared? I needed to decide if this relationship was worth all the heartache, if you were worth it." By this time, Lucas was short of breath and for the first time he realized the impact his words must have had on Sami.  
She looked more scared than he had ever seen her. Tears were pooling in the corners of her eyes, ready to join the ones that had already cascaded down her porcelain white cheeks. Her fists were clenched at her sides, and she nervously shifted her weight from one foot to the other. Finally she spoke, in a tight, broken voice.  
"And did you decide?"  
"Yes."  
They stood, gazing at each other intently, knowing their fate depended on Lucas' next words.  
It took them a few minutes to hear the quiet rapping on the door.  
"Ms. Brady? Mr. Roberts?" a voice soon accompanied the tapping.  
Lucas was the first to break, striding over to answer the door.  
"Yes?" he asked, trying to calm his rapid breathing.  
"Um, we have another room available, we can move you right now if you'd like," a bellhop told him merrily.  
"Okay...okay. Sure," Lucas flew by Sami to collect his bags and with an ominous bang of the door, he was gone. 


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5  
  
He was gone. He just left. How could he leave? Sami stood frozen in place, her eyes glued to the door, hoping that maybe he'd come back to her. But he didn't.  
"I guess he doesn't want me," Sami thought glumly. She could feel her heart slowly ripping in half.  
"But he said he loved you," a little voice inside her head reminded her.  
"And I love him," Sami reassured herself. "I love him, oh my god. I didn't say that, I didn't say anything! I have to find him."  
She ran to the door and pulled it open, sprinting downstairs to the front desk.  
"I need to speak to Lucas Roberts," Sami choked out, leaning tiredly on the counter.  
The clerk typed rapidly for a minute on the computer, then turned back to Sami. "Mr. Roberts doesn't want to be disturbed."  
"Look, I just was talking to him a few minutes ago," Sami protested desperately.  
"Miss, I'm sorry. I really can't help you out, I'm sorry," the clerk repeated sympathetically.  
Sami could barely hold herself together as she slumped dejectedly back to her room. She closed the door and sunk to the ground, tears streaming down her cheeks.  
"He doesn't want to see me," she sobbed. "What am I going to do? Maybe I'll see him tomorrow." At that thought, she brightened. "I love my son's meddling," Sami shouted out, beaming happily. "Will changed all of our plans around so we'd be together. Lucas will be with me all day tomorrow."  
Finally with a plan of action, Sami was able to crawl into bed, satisfied that everything would be better the next day.  
  
Sami nodded in approval at her reflection in the mirror. "Today has to be perfect," she thought. "It's going to be. I'm going to tell Lucas how I feel and then we're going to live happily ever after."  
Her smile suddenly faded and she felt her pessimism creeping back into her head. "Nothing's every that easy, is it?"  
She turned away from the mirror and glanced vulnerably around the room for something that would help her find her confidence. Her eyes landed on the shirt that Lucas had worn to bed the previous night, laying forgotten on a chair. She moved over slowly and clutched it to her chest, taking in Lucas' indelible scent.  
"I need him in my life, for the rest of my life," Sami decided, nodding in affirmation. "Okay Sami, lets do this."  
  
As Sami approached the meeting point of her activity, horseback riding, a thin layer of perspiration broke out across her forehead. Her heart began to pound double-time and her knees started to shake. But as she looked around at the other people, the familiar mop of brown hair and casual smirk were nowhere to be found. In one breath, the air was sucked from her lungs and all hope she had of seeing Lucas was gone.  
The leader of the group walked out and stood in front of the group. "Okay, so everyone is here except for Lucas Roberts. We're going to get started then."  
Sami felt the tears coming, but before she could breakdown, a familiar voice snapped her out of her reverie.  
"Where's your hot guy pal honey?" Diane Simon nudged Sami playfully, but her fun mood disintegrated when she saw Sami's face. "What happened?"  
  
"And that's why my life is totally and completely ruined," Sami managed to get out.  
"Aw honey, there's no way your relationship is over," Diane gave her a sympathetic look from atop her horse.  
"Yeah," Al agreed. "You two are head over heels for each other, anyone can see that. He loves you."  
"Yesterday morning it certainly seemed like he wanted to be with you," Diane pointed out.  
"Don't give up hope," Al reached over and patted her thigh affectionately.  
"He doesn't even want to see me," Sami wailed.  
"Samantha Brady! Snap out of it right now!" Diane yelled suddenly, causing the horses to shuffle in surprise.  
Sami looked over at her in shock.  
"If you want Lucas, you have to stop crying and start taking action. Don't stop just because there's a bump in the road," Diane said sternly.  
Sami took a deep breath and looked back at Al and Diane with a determined gleam in her eye. "What do you think I should do?"  
"Well dear, I'd start by finding him," Al raised an eyebrow.  
"Thanks a lot," Sami rolled her eyes.  
  
Sami strolled along the boardwalk, unconsciously searching for his handsome face. She hadn't seen him all day. Even though the Simons gave her a renewed sense of hope, her search had been fruitless. It was as if he dropped off the face of the Earth.  
"I might as well just go back to the hotel, maybe I'll bump into him," Sami thought hopefully.  
She walked aimlessly back to the room, lost in her thoughts. Before opening her hotel room door, she glanced optimistically down the halls for Lucas. As she expected, he was nowhere to be seen. She sighed miserably and pushed open the door.  
"Oh my god!" she gasped in shock. 


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6  
  
Sami looked around in shock. Her hotel room was filled with bouquets of flowers. Tulips, roses, sunflowers. Suddenly, laying amidst the colorful flowers, a sheet of paper caught her eye. Still looking around in awe, she wandered over to the bedside table to pick up the paper.  
  
Sami,  
Obviously you've figured out that I'm up to something. Want to find out more? Go look in the closet and wait by the entrance to the hotel. No shoes!!  
Lucas  
  
A small smile played on Sami's lips as she held the note to her chest and approached the closet. Waiting for her was a gorgeous, deep green dress. She gasped in delight and rushed to put it on. Sami glanced in the mirror at her reflection, pleased with what she saw. The dress fell to just below her knees and hugged her in all the right places. Lucas certainly knew how to shop! After applying one last coat of lip-gloss, she rushed out the door, the carpet soft on her bare feet.  
"Lucas is right outside waiting for me!" Sami was bursting with excitement.  
The doors slid open and Sami ran outside expectantly. She looked around, but Lucas wasn't there. Sami sighed in disappointment. "He wouldn't play such a cruel trick on me. Would he?"  
"Are you Miss Samantha Brady?" a voice said uncertainly.  
Sami nodded and looked up. Her mouth formed a small 'o' at the sight in front of her. Two pure white horses stood harnessed to an antique open- roof carriage. "This is for me?"  
The coachman smiled and nodded, gesturing for her to sit down. "Your chariot awaits."  
  
The night sky changed from a brilliant blue to black as the sun disappeared into the ocean. Sami jingled her knees in anticipation as the carriage rolled down the quiet streets.  
"So, where are we going?" Sami asked nervously.  
"Ah, ah, ah. It's a secret," the coachman looked back at her with a smirk.  
Sami offered him a tiny smile. She focused her gaze on the miles of beach stretching out ahead of her. Suddenly, amidst the enveloping darkness, a bright spot stood out in the middle of the sand. Sami strained her eyes to see what was positioned there. She could make out a figure, and what looked like a table and two chairs.  
"The ride ends here, Miss Brady," the coachman turned around in his seat after pulling the horses to a stop. "I believe your date is down there."  
Sami thanked him and started towards the table. The salt made her eyes sting and the wind whipped her hair around her head, but as she got closer to the table, she knew it was him. She tried to pick up the pace, but it was hard to raise her feet in the soft sand. Breathless, she finally gazed into the beautiful chocolate eyes she'd been searching for all day.  
"You never got my answer." His eyes twinkled, crinkling at the corners from his smile.  
  
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	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7  
  
Sami stared at him, a strange look on her face. Lucas rushed over to the other side of the table and pulled out her chair. With a charming smile, he gestured for her to sit down.  
"Where have you been?" Sami finally spoke.  
"Did you miss me?" Lucas smirked, taking his place across the table.  
  
Sami raised her eyebrows, demanding an answer to the question.  
"Planning this. Finding you a perfect beach dress. You look very beautiful, by the way," Lucas flashed her a crooked grin, and Sami flushed prettily.  
"I love the dress," Sami told him. "You know you didn't have to do this."  
"Yeah, I did," Lucas disagreed. "I was a jerk last night, walking out on you like that."  
"I can't really blame you. I didn't say anything," Sami said softly.  
  
Lucas caught her gaze and held it. Before Sami found herself completely drowning in his eyes, she tore her eyes away.  
"So, does this discussion include a meal?" Sami said playfully, her smile faltering when she gazed back into his intense eyes.  
"Of course," Lucas broke their trace and stood, revealing a three- course meal.  
"Yummy," she rubbed her hands together in anticipation.  
Lucas served her large portions of various sections of the meal. After a few minutes of silence, Sami took a deep breath. "Did you make all this stuff yourself?"  
"Yup," Lucas replied.  
Sami stopped in mid-bite and stared at him in question.  
"I can cook, you know. Unlike other people I know," Lucas offered her a teasing smile.  
"Ooh, you're real funny," Sami rolled her eyes and swallowed the mouthful. "This is good though."  
"Thank you," Lucas flushed lightly and sat down across from her.  
They ate dinner in silence, each casting quick glances at the other every few minutes. Sami was battling conflicting emotions. She know she should be mad at him, but once she came to the realization that she was in love with him, the feeling was all consuming. But through all her happiness, that little voice in the back of her head was telling her to be careful. Lucas still hadn't told her his decision.  
"Come on Sami," she though. "He wouldn't plan this entire dinner and then be like 'oh I'm sorry, I don't want you', would he?"  
"What are you thinking?" Lucas said softly, not meeting her eyes.  
"What do you think?" Sami glared at him. "I'm trying to enjoy this dinner, but it's hard when we left things so horribly last night. I don't know what to think Lucas."  
Lucas took a deep breath and leaned back in his chair. "Let's go for a walk."  
Sami looked at him in disbelief, but sighed, "Okay."  
They both stood up from the table in unison and headed towards the beach. Lucas dragged his feet in the sand, wondering how long he could possibly procrastinate. Judging from the expression on Sami's face, not very long.  
"Okay," he thought, taking a calming breath, "let's do this."  
"Sami," he stopped, tugging her around to face him, "I love you, so much, but I already told you that."  
Sami nodded, biting her lip.  
"I'm really sorry that I didn't see you today, and I'm sure you're angry with me, but I needed to clear my head so I could say what I wanted to, to you," Lucas took a deep breath and got down on one knee and pulled out a ring box from his pocket. He flipped open the lid and there glittered a simple, but elegant diamond ring.  
Sami gasped in shock and confusion, bringing her hands up to her mouth.  
"Just one day without you and I missed you so much it hurt. Asking if you were worth it was a stupid question. I mean, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, what's more important than that? I realize that we've never actually dated, but that's just about getting to know each other right? And you're already my best friend. And I know that whatever life throws at us, we can get through it if we're together."  
Streams of tears were rolling down Sami's cheeks. "Lucas, I – I love you, more than anything. And..." she choked back a sob. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you."  
Lucas slid the ring onto Sami's finger and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her shoulder. Sami could feel his tears sliding down her neck. Lucas pulled back to look into her eyes, resting his forehead on hers.  
"I love you," he whispered.  
"I love you too," Sami couldn't keep a grin from spreading onto her face.  
Lucas leaned in and kissed her sweetly, which quickly turned into an earth-shattering passionate kiss.  
"So, I'm going to be Mrs. Lucas Roberts, huh?" Sami beamed breathlessly.  
"Yeah, you like that?" Lucas replied.  
Sami just smiled and leaned in for another kiss.  
  
PLEASE REVIEW!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE ( 


	9. Epilogue

Epilogue 

"Why are we going to this particular beach mom?" Will asked, reaching over his little sister to get his mother's attention.

"We'll tell you when we get there," Sami replied, glancing playfully up at Lucas, who was sitting up in the front of the cab.

"Yeah, whatever," Will turned away to look back out the window.

"Teenagers," Lucas mouthed to Sami with an over-exaggerated eyeroll. Sami choked back a giggle.

Suddenly, Sami spotted what she was looking for out the window. "Hey, hey pull over here."

Sami hopped quickly out of the cab, then immediately reached back into the cab to retrieve her three-year old daughter.

"Come on Diane, let's go," Sami urged her.

The blonde "mini-Sami" grabbed her mother's hand and pulled her to the sand.

"So we're here," Will commented, "and it looks like a beach."

"Well little man, this beach is very special," Lucas put his hands on his son's shoulders.

"This is where your father proposed to me," Sami told him, smiling affectionately at her husband.

"Really?" Will couldn't stop the smile that was spreading across his face.

"Yeah, remember when you messed with our vacation five years ago?" Lucas raised an eyebrow accusingly.

"Definitely, I was fearing the day you guys got back, but luckily my plan worked and you guys weren't mad," Will smirked.

"I'd say you lucked out there mister," Sami nudged her son in the ribs. "Look , we brought you here because we wanted to say thank you, because you always saw what we couldn't. And look at us now. Our fifth wedding anniversary and we're so happy."

"Aw mom, stop," Will blushed.

"You gave us the perfect vacation," Lucas piped up.

"Mommy, Daddy. Let's go walk to the ocean," Diane commanded.

Will took his sister's hand and ran ahead with her to where the tide broke over the sand as Sami and Lucas wrapped their arms around each other to watch the sunset.


End file.
